Consulate Day!

Today was our consulate appointment day! Today was the day we went to the US Consulate's Office (where all the Ch*na side of paperwork has been sent and processed) and took an oath that everything was true and correct.  We then met with an officer and she reviewed our paperwork and approved Shawn Xinyu Smith for a Visa to travel to America! This is important because he will be entering the country as an immigrant, but as soon as we land on American soil (this will be Atlanta) he becomes an American citizen.  

We've spent the past two days hanging out at the hotel and watching Bella and Shawn play together.  He smiles as soon as he sees her and she thinks he's funny.  It's wonderful watching Big Sister and Little Brother learn to love each other.  

More playground fun...

Our "almost" American Citizen with his big sister (who has been there, done that)...

Woo-hoo!!! Getting closer!!!

 Trying to start a celebratory wave with Caitlyn...

Dressed up for photos.  I promise, this was the best I could do....

 Our travel group, #1977....

Smiling at Sister.  Think he likes her?

Guangzhou

We flew out of Zhengzhou Sunday morning arrived in Guangzhou Sunday around noon! Picture 10 families running towards a bus; that was the scene in Zhengzhou Sunday morning.  I think we had all had it with the heat, the crowds, the smog, the scooters, yada, yada, yada.  We met our wonderful guides, Grace and Jocelyn, at the airport (who greeted us with bottled water!) and we all boarded a bus to the China Hotel.  The hotel is phenomenal...there's AC! It really is very luxurious, but the AC is our favorite part. Never again will we take our AC for granted.

We had a great Sunday until around 11:00pm...Brian got hit with food poisoning. (If what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Brian and I are coming home with the strength of an ox.) Shawn woke up around 11:45 and was rather mad when he realized his only choice for comfort was me. He would rather stay in his crib with his back turned towards me than have me comfort him. I think around 12:30am I finally told him, "Your sister is from Hunan buddy...bring it on!".  Back to the story...We aren't exactly what caused Brian to be sick, but I'm happy to report he's now on the upswing.  However, yesterday was UGLY for him.  Shawn had his 2 1/2 hour medical exam yesterday morning.  I called our guides to ask for Gatorade and Sprite and was told only one parent needed to go to the medical exam so I could go alone with Shawn. Uh-oh.  We all know that's not what Shawn had planned.  With lots of prayers, him and I met our group at 9:30 and boarded a bus for the clinic.  I am OVERJOYED to say he did GREAT! He cuddled with me, napped on me and handled his exam like a rock star.  Not one whimper, not one tear.  We made it back to the hotel around noon and as soon as he saw his daddy the tears began.  To stop the dramatics, I decided him and Bella and I would all spend the day out of the room. He did wonderful! Still wanted Brian when he saw him, but he gave me hope.

Our hotel has an outdoor play area for the kiddos and we spent time there yesterday.  I think it was Shawn's first time on a playground because it took him a little while to warm up to it.  Enjoy the pics!

Getting ready to leave for the medical exam.  I think he was double checking with a friend that he was OK alone with me....

Our little Medical Exam Rock Star!

 In case the medical exam is a little too difficult for Mommy or Daddy, you can always pick up a bottle of wine from the vending machine in the lobby....

 Fun on the playground...

 Bella told me they were "playing bunk beds"...

 Melt my heart....

Need more cuteness? Here's a video...

Being Silly in Zhengzhou

What we are up to.....

Greetings from Zhengzhou! I'm posting pictures for you all to see our little family in action.  To give you all an update on Shawn, the tears have almost completely stopped.  He's still crying while getting a diaper changed and he HATES bathtime.  He is waking up once or twice during the night, but not for long.  He is also in love with his daddy.  Him and I had a great Monday afternoon and Tuesday; on Wednesday he decided to completely reject mommy.  He would start crying when I looked at him and would NOT come near me.  This is typical attachment behavior, but it's tough to deal with.  Hence the lack of updates on blogger and facebook.  If he's willing to spend time playing with me, everything stops and he gets 100% of my attention.  Today has already been better; Brian was able to shower and I only had a few tears to deal with. To give you all an update on Bella, she's been a champ.  She's handled the trip and getting a baby brother like a true princess.  That's not to say she hasn't had moments, but it's all understandable and typical.  Like she said earlier to us, "You would think it's easy to be a princess, but it's not".  For real...that's what she told us.  Without further ado, here's the pictures:

I don't see us going out to eat a lot with the kiddos....

 Brian's face says it all.....

 Double trouble.....

Jie Jie loves pushing Di Di in his stroller....

 Looking at the photo album we sent him.  Trust me, he doesn't sit for long.

 Our princess and super hero...

 Our own version of the Chinese acrobats....

 Enough! I'm sick and tired of having my picture made!



Gotcha!

It's been a couple of VERY busy days in Zhengzhou.  We flew into Zhengzhou on Sunday and spent the day unpacking, making sure we had enough $$$ for the next two days and shopping for baby supplies.  On Monday morning we woke up....and it was THE DAY! We met our group in the lobby of the hotel at 9:30 and drove 20 minutes to the local Civil Affairs office where we (and the other 9 families in our group) would meet their babies.  When we got to the office, two or three babies were there, but not Shawn.  We watched the glass doors for about 20 minutes; we kept expecting to see him.  I happen to look around the room at one point and realized HE WAS THERE! The Orphanage Director and Nanny brought him through a different door so he completely surprised us.  I immediately yelled, "Brian! Bella!" and took off running toward him.  It was not easy on him.  We had been forewarned that he was afraid of "foreigners" and would cry when they would visit his foster home.  Uh-oh.  He came to us, but within a few minutes was in tears.  We started to give him cheerios and that subdued him, but when his nanny and orphanage director came to tell him "bye-bye", the tears started....and did not stop until we were on the bus and he fell asleep.  Did I mention Bella was in tears too?  Not of happiness though.  Poor thing fell over a railing during our Gotcha Moment and fell HARD! I was busy consoling her and Brian was busy consoling Shawn.  I'm pretty sure no one in the group would have changed places with us.  Here's a few pics from the day:

Brian and Shawn...Brian held him first

 Then it was my turn...this was before the rail incident (notice the cup of Cheerios)

 Keeping it real here folks! Our first family photo as a family of four...Brian and I are the only two smiling...the other two are in tears.

In the bus on the way back to the hotel...

This little girl was ready to get out of the loud and crazy Civil Affairs office!

Playing soon after we got back to the hotel.  I tried to take his coat off and the waterworks started again.....

Poor baby cried himself to sleep and was none to happy to see us when he woke up.

However, "Apple" is the Universal language.  With a little help (ok, a lot of help) from our iPhones and iPad, Shawn calmed down.  We are pretty certain he was calling his foster home in this pic....

Oh my goodness, look who is smiling!

And this is the moment he melted my heart.....

Great Wall and a looooong day.....

Saturday started off early for us! We met our group in the hotel lobby at 8:00am with plans to tour a jade factory, the Great Wall and the Olympic Stadium.  We were also scheduled to see the Chinese Acrobats that afternoon.

At the jade factory we were able to see how jade was produced and educated on the different types of jade.  We didn't purchase anything today, but I am planning on shopping next week in Guangzhou for several pieces of jade to bring home.

Onto the Great Wall! The locals say you're not a hero until you've climbed the Great Wall...I'm not a hero but Brian is! He made it all the way to the top and  Bella and I made it to the second level. Brian has some great pics on his phone that he took, but since they're still there, I'll have to share some from my point of view:

 Brian, on his way down the wall....

After the Great Wall we had lunch and then planned to go to the Olympic Stadium.  We got stuck in traffic; about one and a half hours into being in traffic it got interesting....we were in a wreck.  Yep...a wreck.  Our bus hit a car as it cut in front of us.  We were all fine, as was the driver of the car, but we are the first adoption group we've heard of being in a wreck.  Since there are no required seatbelts or car seats in China, Bella was in my lap.  This was by coincidence, she's been sitting with her two new friends.  I was sitting sideways with her cuddled in my lap as we hit, so luckily my shoulder took the hit and not her.  I don't even think she noticed...she was tired by that time.  By the time we finally arrived at Olympic Stadium, the three of us took a taxi to the hotel; we had enough and Bella was sleeping.  The rest of the afternoon and night was spent watching Bella nap and packing for our flight to Zhengzhou.

This morning we left our hotel at 7:15 and are safe and sound in Zhengzhou now.  We have received the plan for tomorrow and are leaving for the Civil Affairs office at 9:30.  We will be meeting our Baby Shawn anytime between 10:00 and 11:00 tomorrow!!! Please pray for his continued peace while he's in the orphanage and for his transition to his new family to be as smooth as possible tomorrow.  Also, please pray for our sweet Bella's heart as she officially becomes a big sister tomorrow. 

I will update and post pictures to Facebook as soon as I can tomorrow!!!

We're in Beijing!

We had a wonderful flight...made all our connections, all flights were on-time and our luggage made it too! I have to take a moment to brag on Bella.  Yesterday, she spent 18 hours on a plane and not one complaint! That's our girl.  She napped some, and luckily, Delta had princess movies she could watch onboard.

The afternoon before the trip....Bella got herself dressed and said "I'm ready to go to China!"

The morning of our flight out...

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On the plane in Detroit, waiting to fly to Beijing!



At the Beijing airport, our guide picked us up along with three other families and took us all to our hotel to rest.  One of these three families has two seven year old daughters and they and Bella have hit it off!

This morning, after our breakfast buffet, we met three other families in our group and headed off for a tour of the Hutong district and a tour of a silk factory. 



Rickshaw ride to the Hutong District

A few pics of our host's home and Bella and her two friends posting with our host.

Three friends walking through the Hutong District

The rest of our group toured Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City this afternoon, but we took our tired girl back to the hotel for a nap for us all. 

Stay tuned...tomorrow is the Great Wall and the Chinese Acrobats show!